Barn bingo, crafting from the garden, as you like it, and more. 
Happy Friday, Tacoma. You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let Tacoma Brief serve up everything you need to know for the weekend ahead.
📰 In the news
Local happenings: AI controlled cameras scanning recycling, a tiny home village opening for people without housing, and a new guide to Tacoma’s quirkiest landmarks — catch up here.
State-level stories: Washington is sitting on billions of unclaimed dollars and antiques, landlords slapped with new rent cap fines, and derelict boats recycled for free — see what else is brewing.
National headlines: Federal judge orders fresh review of gray wolf safeguards, OPEC+ output increase pushes oil under seventy dollars, and a mislabeled pasta recall — peruse the best of the rest.
Highlights this week
- Learn CPR, AED, and first aid
- Explore tide pools and clean beaches
- Join the Black Prisoners Caucus annual fundraiser
- Join weekly Fruitland Grange community meetings
- Compare home equity loans for free
Downtown Tacoma alluring history tour
In partnership with – Tacoma History Comes Alive
Why was the notorious Broadway Hotel padlocked in 1929? How was a car wash used inside a parking garage?
This intriguing Downtown Tacoma history tour showcases the history of Rhodes Department Store, moving sidewalks, a notorious dentist who offered free extractions and a child who was the star of the Rust Building. Learn which buildings the ghosts haunt today and a tragic car accident that happened in 1941 on Pacific Avenue.
Hear from 4th generation Tacoman, Patty Rivers Mannie these stories and more of the alluring history of downtown Tacoma. August 16, 2025 at 10am.
👉 Register for tickets at tacomahistorycomesalive.com
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🫶 We got your back
Nurseries: Skip the big-box stores and step into Tacoma’s plant paradise. Quirky greenhouses meet buzzing pollinator havens, and local nurseries stock everything from sculptural houseplants to edible garden starters.
Business: Think Washington’s corporate scene is all chill vibes and coffee shops? Check out some of the state’s largest businesses and employers.
Organization: You spend a weekend lining up matching containers only to see chaos return three weeks later. Real-life proof hacks that work with your messy, beautiful life are in our sustainable organization tips.
Florist: In need of a last-minute gift, a romantic gesture, or just some color in your life? A Rhapsody in Bloom Florist arranges petal-powered masterpieces that speak volumes without saying a word.
Family: An emergency vet visit could cost you $7,000+ (ask me how I know 🙃). From the initial fee just to be seen to x-rays, surgery, medicine, and aftercare, it adds up quicker than a chew toy turns into a crime scene. The good news? You could get up to 90% cash back on your vet bill with this pet insurance plan.
📆 Around town this weekend
All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.
Have an event to share? Submit it here for free →
Today
🎭 As You Like It @ Tacoma Little Theatre | Friday (8/8) at 7:00pm – This summer, Shakespeare’s Forest of Arden comes alive on Hilltop’s school lawn with Rosalind, lovesick Orlando, and Touchstone’s wisecracks. Bring a blanket, quote “All the world’s a stage,” and pretend you’re not overanalyzing the existential jokes.
🤼 SOS Pro Wrestling – Men in Tights @ Edison Square | Friday (8/8) at 7:30pm – Saturday night at Edison Square means sweaty bodies grappling under a tiki torch glow, with Island-themed smackdowns in coconut bras, hula skirts, and suplexes. It’s pro wrestling at its finest, with enough pineapple flair to make you question your life choices. Grab a seat, locals.
This weekend
🎨 A Sweet Treat @ Jazzy’s Cafe | Saturday (8/9) at 4:30pm – Whether you’re Picasso in disguise or still trembling at the thought of a paintbrush, Jazzy’s Cafe and PNW Paint Night have you covered with canvas, brushes, and a free drink. Just bring your banter, an adventurous spirit, and perhaps a smudge of confidence.
💰 Black Prisoners Caucus Annual Fundraiser @ LeMay American Car Museum | Saturday (8/9) at 5:00pm – This fundraiser feels more backyard barbecue than boardroom affair, with soulful eats, honest community stories, and genuine fundraising for the Black Prisoners Caucus. Roll in with your appetite, your dry wit, and a willingness to open your wallet for a solid cause.
🔴 Color Cheney Crimson @ Cheney Stadium | Saturday (8/9) at 6:00pm – R House is getting a crimson and gray makeover for a WSU alumni night, and a chunk of every ticket (plus all the spirited jersey auction bids) funnels back to the Alumni Association. It’s a Cougar tailgate under lights: no lawn chairs, just bragging rights.
🌊 Low Tide Beach Hike @ Owen Beach Kayak Rentals | Sunday (8/10) at 11:00am – Grab your sturdy boots and wander Point Defiance’s newly revealed beach floor with Queer Mountaineers. Marvel at anemones, dodge rogue starfish, and bond over shared “wow, who knew crabs had fashion sense” moments. It’s a low-tide adventure with good company, laughs, and salt-kissed air.
📔 Crafting from the Garden – August: Birch Bark Journals | Sunday (8/10) at 1:30pm – Ever wanted to immortalize your grocery list in homemade parchment? This month, Brianna Ybarra leads a crafty workshop in Lakewold Gardens where you’ll assemble birch bark journals straight from the trees. It’s rustic creativity, zero Wi-Fi, and all the bragging rights.
🐓 Barn Bingo @ Fort Steilacoom Park | Sunday (8/10) at 3:00pm – Forget fluorescent hall lighting, this evening’s bingo goes rustic in a genuine hay-scented barn. Sip a local brew, dab your card with fresh gusto, rub elbows with neighbors who know how to call “bingo” with charm, and vie for prizes worth bragging about.
Next week
🏆 Live it Outloud 2025 Awards @ Real Art Tacoma | Monday (8/11) at 6:00pm – Skip the dive bar line and head over to Tacoma’s 100 percent sober art space where we’ll clap for the next generation of local music heroes. It’s part award ceremony, part community hug, and 100 percent free of booze and bad decisions.
🎸 Summer Nights at the Pavilion featuring Fastlane @ Fort Steilacoom Park | Tuesday (8/12) at 6:30pm – Bring a blanket, grab your crew, and settle in for a summer evening of free live music in the park. Fastlane’s bringing the tunes, and the sunset backdrop is doing the rest. It’s feel-good vibes, fresh air, and zero cover charge.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
🎶 Live music & entertainment
- 8/8 Hot August Night @ Dawg Eat Dogs – 4 pm
- 8/8 RivetSkull @ McMenamins Elks Temple – 7 pm
- 8/9 Rockin’ R&B Festival @ Gig Harbor Sportsman Club – 12 pm
- 8/9 Punialavaa @ Muckleshoot Casino – 5 pm
- 8/9 Dakota Poorman @ Off Camber Brewing – 6 pm
- 8/9 Prom Remix 2025 @ McMillian Grange – 6 pm
- 8/9 Sam Barber @ Dune Peninsula – 7:30 pm
- 8/9 Tragedy By Design and more @ McMenamins Elks Temple – 7 pm
- 8/12 Fastlane @ Fort Steilacoom Park – 6:30 pm
- 8/12 Open Mic Nite @ Real Art Tacoma – 6:30 pm
🏠️ Price is right – Tacoma edition
How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).
Listed by: Greg Stock (Keller Williams Rty Tacoma)
Set on over an acre in NE Tacoma, this 3,534-square-foot home comes with front-row seats to Puget Sound and Mt. Baker, plus a privacy boost from the greenbelt. Soaring vaulted ceilings and a gourmet kitchen with slab granite, custom cabinet lighting, and shiny new hardwoods keep things fresh. The den off the entry even has its own private patio for secret coffee breaks.
The primary suite is fully reimagined with a walk-in closet, custom built-ins, and a shower that feels more like a car wash (in the best way). Downstairs, three bedrooms and two baths open to a fenced, flat backyard with total seclusion.
Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →
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